WHO IS QUEEN ELIZABETH I? WHAT IS HER LEGACY? WHAT WAS LIFE LIKE IN QUEEN ELIZABETH’S COURT? WHAT CONNECTION DID SHAKESPEARE HAVE TO QUEEN ELIZABETH?
Answer prepared by: Abby Wigdale At the age of twenty-five, Elizabeth became the Queen of England in 1558. When Elizabeth became queen everyone knew their country was put in excellent hands. According to Kathryn Hinds, author of Elizabeth and Her Court, “It was not just the power of Elizabeth’s personality that made her a well-loved ruler. She also had great intelligence, courage, and a real talent for government.” Her siblings, Mary and Edward both unexpectedly passed away which put her in line to receive the crown. The people were more than thrilled when Elizabeth became their queen. [Removed sentence] During Queen Elizabeth’s 45-year reign she accomplished many tasks. After her half-sister, Mary, destroyed the Protestant Church, Elizabeth rebuilt it. She also rebuilt the debased coinage. Many people doubted that women were capable of becoming head of the church, but Elizabeth proved them wrong. She became Supreme Governor of the Church of England. [Removed passage-moved into next paragraph] Queen Elizabeth did more than just government work; she also shared her beliefs with her people. Elizabeth had beliefs on both religion and marriage. Historians will never be able to know exactly what Queen Elizabeth’s religious beliefs were; however, the Church she established indicated she was a devout Protestant. Even though she was a Protestant, she did not want to persecute any of her people for their religious beliefs. While Elizabeth was queen, marriage proposals came pouring in; however, she refused all of them. No one knows her personal beliefs on marriage, but throughout her entire reign, she never got married or even considered marriage. We might not know a ton about Queen Elizabeth’s beliefs, but we do know that she was not your average woman. The court consisted of anyone who surrounded the Queen from her servants to the courtiers themselves. Elizabeth had many servants in every place she went. The queen had many different palaces she moved to throughout the year. During her reign, Elizabeth inherited over sixty palaces; each palace containing extraordinary architecture. In each palace she had a mob of people to serve her. Servants worked in the kitchens, stables, and throughout the palace and grounds. She had upper servants whose jobs were to supervise the servants. She also had household officials, Sergeants-at-Arms, entertainers, Esquire of the Body, and many more. [Removed passage] All and all, serving the queen of your country was not an easy task. The relationship between Queen Elizabeth and Shakespeare was strictly work- related. Elizabeth did a lot of work for the theatre, without her help the Elizabethan theatres would not have survived. When Elizabeth called for court performances, Shakespeare’s company was chosen more than anyone else’s. In some of his plays, he indirectly referred to Elizabeth, but she is only directly referred to once. After Elizabeth died, Shakespeare did not write an elegy for her, unlike many of the other poets during the time. As you can see, Shakespeare and Elizabeth’s relationship was none other than work related; Shakespeare worked for Elizabeth, as she demanded. This is a picture of Queen Elizabeth I Works Cited Elizabeth I. N.p., 30 January 2010. Web. 4 Apr 2010. http://www.elizabethi.org/us/ Hinds , Kathryn. Elizabeth and Her Court. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 2008. Print. Laroque, Francois. The Age of Shakespeare . Harry N Abrams Inc, 1993. 92-93, 98-99. Print.
Singman, Jeffery L. Daily Life in Elizabethan England. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1995. 1-7. Print.
Answer prepared by: Abby Wigdale
At the age of twenty-five, Elizabeth became the Queen of England in 1558. When Elizabeth became queen everyone knew their country was put in excellent hands. According to Kathryn Hinds, author of Elizabeth and Her Court, “It was not just the power of Elizabeth’s personality that made her a well-loved ruler. She also had great intelligence, courage, and a real talent for government.” Her siblings, Mary and Edward both unexpectedly passed away which put her in line to receive the crown. The people were more than thrilled when Elizabeth became their queen. [Removed sentence]
During Queen Elizabeth’s 45-year reign she accomplished many tasks. After her half-sister, Mary, destroyed the Protestant Church, Elizabeth rebuilt it. She also rebuilt the debased coinage. Many people doubted that women were capable of becoming head of the church, but Elizabeth proved them wrong. She became Supreme Governor of the Church of England. [Removed passage-moved into next paragraph] Queen Elizabeth did more than just government work; she also shared her beliefs with her people.
Elizabeth had beliefs on both religion and marriage. Historians will never be able to know exactly what Queen Elizabeth’s religious beliefs were; however, the Church she established indicated she was a devout Protestant. Even though she was a Protestant, she did not want to persecute any of her people for their religious beliefs. While Elizabeth was queen, marriage proposals came pouring in; however, she refused all of them. No one knows her personal beliefs on marriage, but throughout her entire reign, she never got married or even considered marriage. We might not know a ton about Queen Elizabeth’s beliefs, but we do know that she was not your average woman.
The court consisted of anyone who surrounded the Queen from her servants to the courtiers themselves. Elizabeth had many servants in every place she went. The queen had many different palaces she moved to throughout the year. During her reign, Elizabeth inherited over sixty palaces; each palace containing extraordinary architecture. In each palace she had a mob of people to serve her. Servants worked in the kitchens, stables, and throughout the palace and grounds. She had upper servants whose jobs were to supervise the servants. She also had household officials, Sergeants-at-Arms, entertainers, Esquire of the Body, and many more. [Removed passage] All and all, serving the queen of your country was not an easy task.
The relationship between Queen Elizabeth and Shakespeare was strictly work- related. Elizabeth did a lot of work for the theatre, without her help the Elizabethan theatres would not have survived. When Elizabeth called for court performances, Shakespeare’s company was chosen more than anyone else’s. In some of his plays, he indirectly referred to Elizabeth, but she is only directly referred to once. After Elizabeth died, Shakespeare did not write an elegy for her, unlike many of the other poets during the time. As you can see, Shakespeare and Elizabeth’s relationship was none other than work related; Shakespeare worked for Elizabeth, as she demanded.
This is a picture of Queen Elizabeth I
Works Cited
Elizabeth I. N.p., 30 January 2010. Web. 4 Apr 2010. http://www.elizabethi.org/us/
Hinds , Kathryn. Elizabeth and Her Court. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 2008. Print.
Laroque, Francois. The Age of Shakespeare . Harry N Abrams Inc, 1993. 92-93, 98-99. Print.
Singman, Jeffery L. Daily Life in Elizabethan England. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1995. 1-7. Print.
"What was Shakespeare's relationship with Queen Elizabeth like?." Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. N.p., 2010. Web. 4 Apr 2010. http://www.shakespeare.org.uk/content/view/694/623/